At the 1964 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria, one ice hockey event was held: men's ice hockey. This tournament was also counted as IIHF World Championship and IIHF European Championship. The games were held at the Olympiahalle Innsbruck. It was the Soviet's second Olympic, fourth World, and eighth European championships title. Canada used a national team for the first time, organized and coached by Father David Bauer. They still could have won Gold on the last day with a win over the Soviets, but ended up a controversial fourth.[1][2]

¹The tie-breaking procedures for the Olympics were changed after the competition. By the rules that Canadian officials believed were being used (goal difference between the top four teams),[1][3]Canada was the bronze medal winner, but just before the medal ceremony this was changed, and Czechoslovakia won bronze by the new rules (goal difference in all games of the Olympics). In 2005, the International Ice Hockey Federation attempted to alter the results of World Championship, awarding Canadians a bronze medal, but then it changed its mind, and in September 2005 the IIHF finally rejected Canada's appeal to be awarded 3rd place.[4]

Prior to the tournament it was determined that there would be a spot allocated for an Asia/Oceanic representative. Also, for the third (and final time) East played West to decide the German representative in the Olympic hockey tournament.

Winners (in bold) qualified for the Group A to play for 1st–8th places. Teams which lost their qualification matches, played in Group B for 9th–16th places. Countries were seeded (roughly) from their placement at the 1963 World Ice Hockey Championships. Switzerland was the only 'B' pool team to win, defeating Norway who was also from the 'B' pool.